Thursday, September 17, 2015

Tsunami alert as Chile hit by powerful earthquake 8.3-magnitude

The 8.3-magnitude tremor was centred off the coast, about 144 miles (232km) north-west of the capital. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that "widespread hazardous tsunami waves are possible".One
person was killed by a falling wall, and evacuation was ordered in
coastal areas. Tsunami sirens were heard in the port of Valparaiso.Chilean officials say the earthquake has produced waves of up to 4.5 metres (15 feet) along the coast in the region of Coquimbo.

The
earthquake struck just off the coast at 19:54 local times (22:54 GMT),
about 55km west of the city of Illapel, the US Geological Survey said.

Officials said it was at the depth of about 10km.

The US Geological Survey initially reported the tremor as magnitude 7.9, but then quickly revised the reading to 8.3.Several strong aftershocks were reported just minutes later.

Illapel Mayor Denis Cortes reported that one person was killed by a collapsing wall, and 15 other people were injured.

Some homes were reportedly damaged in the city.

"Tsunami
waves reaching more than three metres above the tide level are possible
along some coasts of Chile," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned.

The
earthquake struck as thousands of Chileans have been travelling to the
coast ahead of a week of celebrations of the national holidays, or
Fiestas Patrias.

Tsunami alerts were also issued for Peru, Hawaii, parts of California and as far away as New Zealand.

New
Zealand authorities warned of unusually strong currents and
unpredictable water flows, reported local media. At least one school has
evacuated.

The quake was also strongly felt in some Argentine provinces like
Mendoza and in the capital Buenos Aires several buildings were
evacuated, the BBC's Ignacio de los Reyes reports.Chile is one of the most seismically active locations on the globe. It
runs along the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic
plates. These are vast slabs of the Earth's surface that grind past each
other at a rate of up to 80mm per year.In February 2010, a 8.8-magnitude struck off central Chile, killing more than 500 people. BBC17/9/15----Magnitude Mw 8.2Region OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILEDate time 2015-09-16 22:54:32.0 UTCLocation 31.57 S ; 71.61 WDepth 20 kmDistances: 228 km NW of Santiago, Chile / pop: 4,837,295 / local time: 19:54:32.0 2015-09-16163 km N of Valparaíso, Chile / pop: 282,448 / local time: 19:54:32.0 2015-09-1643 km W of Illapel, Chile / pop: 22,816 / local time: 19:54:32.0 2015-09-16 ----M8.3 - 46km W of Illapel, Chile

Time

2015-09-16 22:54:33 (UTC) 2015-09-17 01:54:33 (UTC+03:00) in your timezone Times in other timezones

11 comments:

A powerful magnitude-8.3 earthquake hit off Chile's northern coast Wednesday night, causing buildings to sway in the capital of Santiago and bringing flooding from small tsunami waves in some shore towns...

Officials reported three deaths. There were no reports of serious damage hours after the quake, but officials were still checking the region late into the night.

Authorities had issued a tsunami alert for Chile's entire Pacific coast, and the tremor was so strong that people on the other side of the continent, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, reported feeling it.........AP........ctvnews.ca

A massive 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck the centre of Chile on Wednesday, triggering the evacuation of coastal areas and warnings that tsunami waves could reach as far as Japan.

At least two people were killed and 10 hurt in Chile, where thousands of terrified residents rushed out onto the streets in the capital Santiago. The quake was felt as far away as Argentina, where buildings also swayed.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) put the shallow offshore quake at a magnitude of 8.3 and said it hit just 228 kilometres north of Santiago, a city of 6.6 million people.

The quake, which struck at 7.54 pm, hit at a depth of eight kilometres, USGS said. Seismologists also reported two aftershocks, both above 6.0.

The Chilean government put the main earthquake at 8.0 on the Richter scale..........AFP

A woman was killed in Illapel when the quake caused a restaurant wall to collapse, Denis Cortes, the city mayor said in an interview with the 24 Horas TV channel, adding that 12-15 others were injured...

The 8.3-magnitude earthquake hit the Coquimbo Region, located about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Chile’s capital Santiago, at around 22:54 GMT on Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Its epicenter was located at a depth of 12.5 kilometers (7.7 miles).

USGS first put the quakes magnitude at 7.9, later revising it to 8.3..........http://sptnkne.ws/KpS

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.5 in magnitude struck off Chile 89 miles (143 km) north north-west of the port of Valparaiso, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Monday...

The quake, the latest in a series of aftershocks since a massive 8.3 quake hit in the same area last Wednesday and generated a destructive tsunami, was at a depth of 20.5 miles (33 km), USGS said in a statement.

Witnesses said the latest earthquake shook buildings in the capital Santiago. Thirteen people died as a result of Wednesday's quake and an ensuing tsunami.Reuters

EL Kaos UT

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